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Dwane Casey has a decision to make, but in the end it’s not going to sway the balance too much one way or the other.

Casey either starts veteran Patrick Patterson in place of the injured Jared Sullinger or he throws caution to the wind and goes with rookie Pascal Siakam with Patterson coming off the bench and still eating up the majority of minutes.

And therein lies the key. Patterson was always going to get the majority of the minutes even with Sullinger starting. Whether he begins the game on the floor or on the bench, that won’t change other than he may see even more minutes than he did splitting time with Sullinger.

“Well, we’ll see,” Casey said in his classic evasive way when the question of filling in for Sullinger was addressed Monday. “Patrick, right now, is our leading candidate. Love Pascal. So it’s probably going to be a back and forth between those two. Pascal brings energy and defensive flexibility where we like, Patrick’s got the veteran leadership and veteran experience at that position, so it will probably be a back and forth until Sully comes back.”

Sullinger underwent surgery Monday in New York to insert a metal screw into his left foot. There is no fracture there, rather a stress reaction but it’s substantial enough that the team is willing to put Sullinger on the shelf for two or three months in order to fix the problem once and for all.

Casey has long been a proponent of leaving Patterson with the second unit where he has traditionally excelled but it sounds very much like that might change with the injury to Sullinger and his only other option to start an untested rookie in Siakam.

“I like Pat coming off the bench but I also like experience in the game, too,” Casey said Monday. “So we’ll see. Pascal, I don’t think pressure bothers him. He’s an energetic kid. His spirit is a lot like (Bismack) Biyombo’s as far as his overall game spirit is concerned. The coaches have worked well with him defensively. Coach (Rex) Kalamian, who’s in charge of the defence, has done a good job of getting him ready defensively. We’ve just gotta continue to believe in that. That’s what he brings to the table. He’s not going to be shooting threes and (we’re not) running plays for him. His thing is to rebound, run the floor, have a pick-and-roll coverage, make sure he’s in the right place for that. So a lot of his energy and his stuff is gonna come from the defensive end of the floor, his contribution.”

Patterson has been 100% consistent every time he’s asked about starting or coming off the bench and he kept his record intact Monday when it was raised again.

“Same question I always get since I’ve been here,” Patterson said. “Same answer you’re always going to get since I’ve been here: It doesn’t matter. As long as I have a role on this team, whether I start or come off the bench, it doesn’t matter.”

Siakam may still be a rookie but he’s savvy enough to know a rookie doesn’t make demands or proclamations either when it comes to roles.

“At this point I don’t know what choices I have to make,” he said. “I don’t know what’s going on so I’ll be ready whatever Coach Casey want’s me to play. I don’t care when (I play), I have no preference. Whenever my name gets called I’ll go out there and play hard just like I always do.”

Siakam had a solid camp and seems to be very comfortable in what he can and what he can’t do at this level. He believes his best approach whether he starts or comes off the bench is to just play the game the best way he knows how.

“As a rookie you don’t want to mess up,” he said. “You come to a group of guys who have been doing this for years and they know exactly what is going on and I think you always think about not messing up but at the end of the day you end up messing up, so I feel like it’s going to be about me not thinking (too much), just playing, play my game. The way I play, I can fit in whatever kind of style. When you play hard it doesn’t matter. If I make a mistake, I can still recover and go block a shot. Just do whatever. Play off your instincts and whatever happens, happens. Not think too much.”

Casey likes what he has seen of Siakam and accepts that like any rookie he is going to make mistakes, but for the most part those mistakes are ones that the Raptors head coach can live with.

“Yes, he is a rookie. Yes, he is going to make mistakes, but try not to make as many but if you do make a mistake, keep playing, pursue the ball and make a hard mistake. That is my whole thing. I understand young guys are going to make mistakes but the key is don’t hang your head or pout. Play through it and get it back on the next play mentality.”

Siakam is one of those guys whose motor is rarely below high gear so hanging his head or pouting should not be a problem.

Patterson has already seen Siakam make large strides since training camp opened in Vancouver.

“Confidence,” Patterson said of the biggest difference in the young rookie. “When I first saw him, especially out in Vancouver, he wouldn’t shoot the ball. He was definitely playing defence, deflections, steals, rebounding, catching oops. But as far as if he’s open, on the perimeter, on the elbow or even at the three-point line, he’s a little hesitant. He won’t shoot it. He looks to pass it, and then somebody else make the play for him so he can score at the rim.

“Since then, you see it,” Patterson said. “He’s running in transition, getting layups. He’s posting up with his back to the basket, facing up, knocking those down consistently. He’s starting to shoot the ball a little bit more. His offensive skillset is improving, and his confidence on that side of the ball (is growing).”

For Casey that offensive side is all gravy. All he wants Siakam to do is defend his position and be active on the boards. Whether he does that as a starter or coming off the bench will be answered Wednesday night when the Raptors host Detroit.